A Reddit user has shared their nightmare experience ahead of a 12-hour flight, which led to them being kicked off a plane before it could even take off.
The 18-year-old Redditor was enraged to see "an obese man" in the seat next to his, who he felt was taking up some of his space. This led to an uncomfortable scene as he demanded another seat.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported 2,456 unruly passengers in 2022, 831 of whom were officially investigated. More than $8.4 million was collated in fines handed out by the FAA.
Unhappy about being squeezed next to the overweight man, user u/L4l0_Salamanca spoke to a flight attendant to request another seat. However, he was told that "the flight was full" and moving was not an option.
A stock image of a man at an airport. A Reddit user has shared their nightmare experience ahead of a 12-hour flight, which led to them being kicked off a plane before it could even...A stock image of a man at an airport. A Reddit user has shared their nightmare experience ahead of a 12-hour flight, which led to them being kicked off a plane before it could even take off.Cunaplus_M.Faba/Getty Images"I asked the flight attendant how it's possible that my seat still rendered as available if it was being used for someone's literal rolls," the post reads.
The teen then told the flight attendant he believed the airline had gone "downhill" of late.
"These comments prompted the flight attendant to call me rude and just made her double down on me getting kicked off the plane, though she reassured me I'd be compensated for this trouble as I told her I wasn't traveling for vacation.
"The fat man took his opportunity to call me a fatphobic s***. Some other people around gave me the stink eye."
The OP defended his outburst by saying he was "having to pay for the lack of discipline of another person," which he felt was totally unjustified.
He ended the post by adding that he was given a letter of complaint which stated he was "rude to other passengers" as well as staff. The complaint carried with it a temporary ban, but after getting it appealed, u/L4l0_Salamanca was able to fly the following day instead.
Etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts says that the teenager was placed in a difficult position, but a passenger shouldn't be inconvenienced if they've paid for a seat.
She told Newsweek: "I have walked in this passenger's shoes more than once. In this day and age, it's unconscionable for an airline to sell an obese person a seat when they really need two.
"However, when you make a reservation you are not asked your weight, so you don't know until the passenger gets on the airplane. If there are no extra seats, that's when the trouble begins.
"The difference is, when another passenger is impacted and complains, why should they be inconvenienced? They paid for one seat, not half a seat."
Grotts is the author of A Traveler's Passport to Etiquette, which outlines the dos and don'ts of traveling. She suggests that if someone thinks that one seat isn't going to be enough for them, they should book a seat in business or first class which would allow them more space.
After finally being able to travel to his destination, the teen shared his experience on Reddit on March 28. Many people have criticized his behavior towards the other passenger and the flight attendant.
One person commented: "No matter the reason someone is fat (which they never owe anyone a justification for their existence. No one does) they deserve respect."
Another person wrote: "Often it's not what we say, it's how we say it. It probably would've been handled very differently if you had handled it differently. I know air travel can make people turn into idiots, so please everyone, don't be that idiot."
Newsweek reached out to u/L4l0_Salamanca for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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